[ He's about to answer in kind to that teasing tone in her words, when suddenly she's jerking away from his touch, so abruptly and almost roughly that Owen nearly startles. His immediate reaction is to lift both his hands up in a placating gesture, a show that he really wasn't planning on putting them anywhere else.

Because that's what he figures is happening right now, that she thought he was trying to get handsy or something, and that really isn't the case at all. ]

Of course it didn't. [ Nope, see, not groping her or anything. He does still feel guilty because somehow, it seems like he's managed to send her into a mild panic attack. ] Look— I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I wasn't even thinking about it. I know you're just teasing, I swear I wasn't trying for anything.